The Power of Love
Chapter 2
Disclaimer: I don't own it!
A/N. Thanks for all your great reviews! I'm so sorry it took me so long to update, but as soon as I got back to school every teacher I had set work and I had exams, so this is the first opportunity I've had to update! Hope you like!
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Severus Snape woke the next morning and looked at the beautiful woman laid sleeping in is arms. His eyes journeyed across her peaceful face, taking in every detail. Minerva McGonagall was beautiful, although not in the traditional blonde hair, blue eyes way. She has long black hair and deep green eyes, not only was she attractive, but she was a great witch. Clever, kind and a great teacher.
"I don't deserve you!" Severus whispered sadly, who would want a slimy, bad tempered, ex-death eater? Especially someone as kind and good as Minerva. Severus jumped as a soft Scottish voice interrupted his thoughts.
"That's not true!" Minerva said sleepily, then laughed slightly as he jumped "Sorry, did I scare you?" she smiled. Severus laughed.
"Yes, you did! And Merry Christmas!" he smiled and kissed her forehead, Minerva smiled back at him
"Merry Christmas!" she whispered and cuddled close to him, Severus smiled and held her small frame close to him. They lay there happily in each others arms, thinking their own private thoughts until they were interrupted by a loud banging on the entrance portrait to Minerva's rooms.
"MINERVA, MIN, GET UP!" Rolanda Hooch's voice called above the banging, then was followed by Poppy Pomfrey calling.
"Come on! Its Christmas!"
Minerva shot out of bed muttering "damn, damn, damn!" she quickly rushed around her rooms, tiding up the empty bottle and glasses, until she was stopped by Severus wrapping his arms round her waist
"What's going on, Min?" he asked, sensing her panic
"Oh, Christmas tradition, Poppy and Rolanda come to my rooms before breakfast to exchange gifts." Minerva replied, and ducked out of his grasp "and I totally forgot about it, and now they are going to find out about us, not that there's anything wrong with that, I just wanted to wait a bit!" she continued as she rushed around the room
"Come on Minnie!" Rolanda said from outside the door
"I'm just coming!" Minerva replied and went to open the door, just as Severus went back into her bedroom, she assumed to get dressed.
"Minnie!" Poppy squealed and hugged her friend, while Rolanda stood in the door way smirking.
"So, who is he?" she grinned, knowingly
"What? Who?" Minerva asked, pretending not to know what she was talking about.
"Oh come on Min!" Rolanda said and went and flopped on the sofa "Look at you!" she grinned "Your hair is down, and I have never seen it down, even after knowing you since our first year! And for another thing, you normally wear sensible pajamas, but at the moment you are wearing some kind of silk get-up!" Minerva blushed, knowing that what she had said was totally true. She was about to protest when Poppy, who had sat on the sofa next to Rolanda, butted in
"Yeah, what happened to you being totally in love with Snape?" she asked as Minerva smiled.
Severus had heard the entire conversation and chose this moment to make himself known, he quietly sneaked out of Minerva's room and crept up behind her, he almost laughed at Poppy and Rolanda's shocked expressions. Wrapping his arms round Minerva's waist he said
"Who said it wasn't Severus!" then kissed Minerva gently on the top of her head. Minerva smiled and laughed at her friends shocked faces
"You shouldn't make assumptions, do you really think I'd invite a total stranger back here?" she asked, teasing her friends.
"No, no, definitely not!" Rolanda and Poppy both said at the same time, still slightly shocked. Minerva laughed again then squealed slightly as Severus spun her round to face him.
"I should go, I'll leave you ladies in peace!" he smiled then looked to the two women sat on the sofa "Bye, Poppy, Rolanda, Happy Christmas!" he smiled at them, then looked back to Minerva and kissed her gently "See you at breakfast, Min!" he whispered then kissed her cheek
"Bye!" Minerva smiled and turned and sat on the sofa opposite her friends as he turned and left the room.
Rolanda was the first to recover and grinned at Minerva "So Minnie! Details!"
"What do you mean?" Minerva asked, then added "Either of you want a cup of coffee?" trying to deviate from the question
Poppy, who had recovered by now shook her head "No, and you know exactly what we mean!" she smiled as Minerva looked uncomfortable.
"Come on, we're your oldest friends, you have to tell us!" Rolanda pestered her friend.
"Fine! Basicaly, we got talking at the staff party last night, then I invited him back here for a drink, just to be polite, and well, we got talking and…well, it just slipped out, I told him that I love him, and it all went from there!" Minerva answered, not telling the real truth, but close enough to it.
"Oh Min! You're so lucky!" Poppy said and got up and hugged her friend. Minerva smiled at her
"Thanks" Minerva muttered and blushed, much to the amusement of Rolanda
"Aww Min! Its so sweet!" she teased "Minnie and Sevvie sitting in a…" she didn't get any further as she was stopped by one of Minerva's death glares "Ok, ok! I was only kiddin!" the flying professor grinned, holding both hands up in the air, laughing. Minerva smiled
"You will never change Ro!" she smiled at her best friend
"Nope!" Rolanda replied "And I never will!" she grinned, then added "Now, who's for presents?"
Severus made his way back to the dungeons, smiling. He couldn't help him self, he was going out with the woman of his dreams. Sure, she was his ex-professor, 20 years older than himself and the most Gryffindor of all Gryffindor's that he had ever known, but he still loved her. A thought accored to him, was there really much of a difference between Slitherin's and Gryffindors? Before the war the two houses we rivals, the light against the dark, the lion against the snake. But now, was it really the same? Now the war had ended, there was no dark wizard causing havoc and there was no dark wizard for the Slitherins to follow. The war had also brought along many unexpected friendships. Draco Malfoy had chosen to fight with the Order after his father had shown his true colours to him. In the end, Lord Voldermort was defeated by Harry Potter, as had been expected and now, now Severus could be himself, he didn't have to act like the over-grown greasy bat of the dungeons.
Reaching his room's Severus spoke the password to the portrait and entered. He quickly showered and put on his robes, but sighed when he looked in the mirror. His hair was not greasy anymore, but he still wanted to make a better effort that what he normally looked like. He looked down at his robes, black and billowing, and also threatening, one of the reasons he always wore them, however, he didn't want to threaten or frighten anyone. He went to his wardrobe and pulled out a black shirt and black trousers, pulling his robes off he quickly dressed in the almost muggle clothes then grabbed a cloak and fastened it round his neck. Looked at himself in the mirror again, he smiled, the new look did make him look kinder, and he didn't look half bad! Something about the loose fitting clothes made him seem younger and fresher, he didn't look quite so pale and withdrawn. Glancing at the clock Severus realized it was time for breakfast, so he made his way up to the Great Hall.
Minerva sighed as her friends left her rooms, not that there was anything wrong with them, they had great fun, its just, they wouldn't stop going on about Severus! Making her way into her bedroom Minerva quickly showered then cast a drying charm on her hair and wrapped it in her usual bun. Going over to her wardrobe she searched for the clothes she hadn't worn for years. It was the outfit she had worn to her younger sister's last birthday party. The outfit consisted of a long emerald green skirt with a black top with ¾ length sleeves that was quite low cut, well, for Minerva's standards anyway. Turning to the mirror Minerva sighed, she looked at herself, yeah, she looked different, but something was still not quite right! Then it hit her, her hair. The clothes didn't match the hair style. Reaching up she pulled the clips out of her hair and let it cascade down her back. Looking in the mirror again, she was still not satisfied. She wasn't happy having her hair down, it was too much unlike her, so she waved her wands and the front sections of her hair twisted back and secured themselves in a kind of knot. Minerva smiled, she now seemed younger and less stressed.
Grabbing her cloak she quickly fastened it over her clothes and made her way down to the Great Hall, still smiling as she thought of the previous night and how her life had changed in the last 12 hours.
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